little further on what the written will of God is for our lives as we look at it and pray the Lord to speak to our hearts and just help us in the days to come. First Peter chapter 2 verse number 13 through verse number 15. First Peter chapter 2 verse number 13, Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king as supreme or unto governors as unto sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. You may be seated tonight. We're dealing with the will of God as we started some weeks ago, I think two weeks ago, and this is the third message on this. But as we talked about that, we read as a text verse the first two times in the book of Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 20 and 21. But verse 21 makes this statement, and Paul's writing this to the early Hebrew professors, and he's stating that his desire for those early Hebrew professors were that God would make them perfect, verse 21 of Hebrews chapter 13, that God would make them perfect in every good work to do His will, that they might pursue a course of action headed down the path Godward to do what God would have them to do. In other words, that word perfect means to be thoroughly complete and to be equipped and in other words to, to fulfill His destined purpose in life. Now what is His destined purpose in life? That means what is He predetermined, what did He make us for? Why did He make man? What, well He made us, Isaiah chapter 43 verse number 7 says, For I have created him for my glory, for I have formed Him, yea, I have made Him. So therefore, He's created you to glorify God. His destined purpose for every human individual is that they might glorify God. Now, what glorifies God? Well, there's a lot of things we could say glorifies God, but basically, we could zero in on one thing, and that is to do His will. to do His will. When your children do your will and obey explicitly, doesn't it bless you? Doesn't it bless you? Well, I should say, if they would, it would bless you. Isn't that the truth? Well, that's God's destined purpose that we glorify Him and to do His will. So to pursue a course of action, Godward blesses him even in that sin. Even though you may not be all the way where God wants you, it's still pursuing that course of action, doing His will, and that glorifies the Lord. Now, I'll tell you, sometimes it's hard to determine the exact, complete, perfect will of God in some areas. I understand that. So when we're studying the will of God, where do you start? The best place to start is to start with the Word of God as He's written down some things, the written will of God. Now, you realize something, there's some things that some people want to call it a gray area. Folks, I'm going to tell you, there is no gray area. It's either black or it's white, amen? Really, if you analyze it. I know we sometimes wanna put some gray area, but what does God say in his word about something? And so there's some things that's clearly spelled out, this is the will of God for those he's predetermined that that's fulfill his purpose, to glorify him, to do his will. What is the will of God, the written will? Well, first of all, 2 Peter 3, verse 9, that ye be saved. He said this in 2 Peter 3, 9, the Lord's not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness, but his longsuffering. Amen. to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Now there's a people who want to take that. And as I've said before, they won't add, that's just talking about the elect. The Lord showed me something this week. I don't know whether in the body or out of the body. I know not, you know how that is in the night hour or something, but there's something the Lord, Lord spoke to my heart about this week and showed me something. and see if I can get it across to you where you can get hold of it, because you see, there's a lot of doctrine out here today. They call it hyper-Calvinism, they call it Calvinism, they call it the great doctrine of the tulip and all that, and folks, they're fatalists, many of them, in their thinking. They even go so far to say that if you're not one of God's elect, And they basically are saying any many mighty more you hell and you heaven, but if you're not one of God's elect, God won't even deal with you. You heard that? I've heard that that's been said. They'll say, God won't even deal with you. Well, we've got scripture we've used for that before. When the Bible says in Luke 13, 24, strive to enter in the straight gate for many are gonna seek and the only one seeking is because God's dealt with them and they won't be able because they wasn't willing to pay the price. They wasn't willing to put forth enough effort to overcome the obstacles. So God dealt with them. He gives light to every man. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. We've dealt with all that before, trying to reinforce to you that God's not willing that you perish and go to hell. His will for you is that you be saved and that glorifies the Lord. Remember we said in 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 12 talks about your pilgrims and strangers because he said, let your conversation, let your manner of living be that honest among the Gentiles, upright among the lost, that whereas in the past they saw your life before, now they'll behold your good works because Christ's done something in you. And God'll use that as evidence to reprove you or convince you of the need of the righteousness of God, and therefore they'll glorify God in the day of visitation. When he visits them with Holy Ghost conviction, they'll yield to that, and they'll yield to that, and they'll repent, and they'll believe, and they'll be saved, and that fulfills the will of God in their lives by being saved, and that glorifies the Lord. Now, what I wanted to show you, to show you even more than that tonight, if I can, that God does, he does deal with others besides those that he knew, foreknew were going to be saved. You say, what do you mean? Well, did not Jesus say this, and we've quoted it so many times, but something clicked in me this week. You may have already seen it, I hope you have. But he said in John chapter eight, verse number 30 and 31, And 32, whenever he talked about those Jews believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, when he preached the truth about real salvation, they said they believed on the Lord in the scripture. And then Jesus said to those Jews which believed on him, if you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free. Now listen, Jesus never said anything untrue, did he? He never quoted anything that wasn't right. And he told those men, and by the way, you go on and study John 8, those men got angry with Jesus and said, we've not been in bondage to any man. We've always been free. They were looking in the physical and not the spiritual, and finally they even accused Jesus of being born of fornication. John 8, read those scriptures. And finally Jesus came in John 8, 44 and said, ye are of your father the devil. In other words, they wasn't saved and from all indications, they never got saved because they put up a wall against the truth. Yet Jesus said, if you will continue, you shall know the truth. The Lord himself spoke that to a group of people that wasn't in the elect. It wasn't in the elect, you see. And yet they had an opportunity to be if they would have continued. Does that make any sense to you? Boy, it spoke to my heart. I don't know whether you got a hold of what I even said or not, but that just puts another nail in the coffin on that false doctrine to me and says, let's just nail her down, son. I want to tell you, God deals with every man to some degree. Now, he gives light, he gives light, and if you don't respond to light, you'll never get to that place where you'll even have an encounter with the Lord. But some have an encounter. They had an encounter with the Lord Jesus. He hid himself from some because he knew their motives, but they definitely, had an opportunity so the Lord is not willing that any should perish. but all come to repent." The will of God's for you to be safe. And you can also say, God never prepared hell for mankind. He never prepared hell for you. He prepared hell for the devil and his angels, but hell has enlarged herself when man rejects the light and the glorious bidding of the gospel or whatever, this light, we could say. When man does that and daily crosses God's deadline, if you please, and die, and then where are they gonna go? They're gonna go to hell because God said, I'm enlarging it. But I never intended for man to do that. I predetermined, I predestined in a sense man to glorify me. I created him for my glory. That was his destined purpose. But man rejected it just like in Jeremiah 6.16 Jeremiah said to the children of Israel, children of Judah, he said in essence, search out the old paths, find the old path, find the truth that we've left as a nation and walk in that. That means a continuous action verb, have a lifestyle in that. And you know what the people said? We will not And that's what people are saying all across this country. We don't want truth. They may not say it with those words, but their action speaks louder than word. But the thing about it is God's will, written will, is that you be saved. That glorifies the Lord. So I don't know whether that helped you, don't know whether you got hold of that little point, but it helped me, amen, as I got hold of that. And like I say, whether in this body or in the spirit, I know not. I mean, it's one of those things that came in the night hour, amen. But as I got hold of it, it said, They're wrong, they're wrong, they're wrong and we're going to stay with the truth. I don't care if they're hair lips ever devil, amen. We just got to stay with it and keep on keeping on and it just tickles me. It may cause me to want to shout over them sometime and just give thanks for light that came, amen. Not only for me but for you as was testified tonight and not only for those that's in, But those that's going to be in, amen, because he's willing. Not willing that you perish. That's the will of God, the written will of God. We also said last week that the written will of God is that you give thanks. Not just be thankful, but in everything, give thanks. So in the great congregation, lifting up your hands, he said, even praising him because he's worthy. In other words, he knows what he's doing with the weather. We need to write a letter to that Nebraska senator, I guess, and tell him, hey, our God knows what he's doing, and he'll find out before it's over with that he wished he had never filed that whatever it was that he filed. Well, amen. Well, give thanks, but it's also God's will, written will, to labor spiritually. and physically, the Bible said in Philippians 2, 12 and 13, Philippians 2, 12, wherefore my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation. That's not talking about working to be saved. It says when God saves you, work it out, work it out. In other words, let others see Jesus in you. Do it with fear and trembling, for it is God which worketh in you both the will and to do of his good pleasure. So the Lord wants you to be a light. He wants you to be salt. If something has happened inside. But yet God wants you to labor physically. Provide for your own. Man won't do it. It's worse than an infidel. God's will is for you to labor. God's will is to be saved. God's will is to give thanks. God's will is to labor. Now we'll get down and start something else, another subject tonight. God's will, written will, is that you be subject to higher powers. Bible says in our text verse we read tonight about that. In other words, our text verse spoke in verse number 13 about kings. In verse 14, it spoke about governors. In other words, that applies to the rulers of our United States of America, even though they may not be called kings. It means the president, if you please, and all the governors and the lawmakers and the elected officials. You say, but you mean that means Ted Kennedy? Well, just listen till I get through, okay? Okay, all right. But it says to be subject to higher power. Submit to them. Now verse 13, submit yourself to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king as supreme or under governors as unto them that are sent by him for punishment of evildoers and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God that with well-doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. The word submit means to be subject to. It means to, in essence, to place in an orderly fashion under. In other words, we're under the leaders that God has placed in our society. And by the way, God did place them, whether you realize that or not. In the 90s, God did place the Clintons in office. Amen. I mean, I understand. You say, I didn't have nothing to do with it. God did. He gave us what we needed. as he spoke about. I mean, well, we won't go into that, all right. But you see, why does he say submit? To put yourself in order under those that's in authority over you. And as far as government's concerned now, that's what this is talking about right here. Why does he say that? Because it's the will of God. Look at verse 15, for so is the will of God. that you, that with well doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. It's the will of God to do that. Now, now you realize he also said in verse number, well in Romans, Paul said this, Peter spoke that in first Peter, but in Romans chapter 13, verse number one and two, this is what Paul said to the saints at Rome. Now listen, Rome was a place where the Caesar was, was Lord. I mean, he's the one that was in much in control over there. And yet God wrote this through Paul to those at Rome. But listen to what he said. Verse number 1 and 2 of Romans 13, let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. Now, in other words, he said these powers that are over us are ordained by God. The word ordained means to arrange in an orderly manner. God arranged in an orderly manner our system whether we want to think about it or not. He's done that. In other words, God's chain of command. And verse four of chapter 13 says this, the first part of Romans, he said, for he, meaning that those, whatever their kings or rulers or governors, for he is the minister of God to thee for good. In other words, our leaders, they are ministers of God to us. In other words, ministers, one who's in God's service. Now, you think about this, he says in Proverbs chapter 21, verse number one, he said, the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. As the rivers of water, he turneth it whether so ever he will. Now sometime we, I know sometime we wanna leave God out like the guy did about the weather and don't think he's doing the right thing. But I wanna tell you, God said he's doing what we need in America today. That don't mean you're not to stand up for what's right. That don't mean you have to stand against these things. That don't mean you just let them run over you in that sense. But he's got their heart in his hand. And he'll turn it, whithersoever he will, when he so chooses to do it, amen. He'll turn many of them right straight in hell, I know that, but he'll do that. He's got their heart in their hand, is what it amounts to. Now, you go back and study Israel, God's own earthly chosen people as a nation. They were in his eye. In other words, Israel's apple of mine eye, I believe they talked about. And in other words, they were his peculiar people, all valued possession. And yet, what did he say about Nebuchadnezzar as king of Babylon? What did God call him over in the Old Testament? He called him, Nebuchadnezzar, my servant. And he wasn't even saved, but he said, he's my servant to put the children of Judah into 70-year captivity, because they had rejected and rejected and rejected, and his long-suffering run out, okay? I mean, you go back and study it. Boy, God was long-suffering with them over and over again, but he called him my servant. And he was placed in that position, and his heart was in the hand of God. Now these, as ministers of God, in other words, they basically have two responsibilities. This is what God intended for government to do. What are their responsibilities? Romans 13, 3 and 4, which it also states in our text verse, I Peter chapter 2, but it says here in I Romans 13, 3 and 4, For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid. For he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Now if you'll realize what he's saying, government has two responsibilities. That's all government was ever intended to have. One of those responsibilities is to punish evildoers. You say, well I understand that. I thought that's what they're supposed to do. But the second was to praise them that do well. To punish those who do evil, praise them who do well. That's all God gave government responsibility to do. And Romans chapter 13 verse 3 and 4 says it that way. In other words, it's like 1 Peter 2, verse number 14, Peter said it this way here, as he said, there are unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him, for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. If it wasn't but one time in the scripture, it's still true, but God gives two witnesses in Peter and Paul, both stating that, Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2. But what are the responsibilities of government? to praise them that do well and punish the evildoers. Today, it's almost right reversed in our societies today across this country. What are they doing? They're praising them who do evil. and punish those who do good to a certain degree. That's the way a lot of our government system is today. Yet the Bible says, be subject to the higher powers. And he calls them the higher powers in the sense that he ordained them, he placed them in there, and we're to be subject to those. But yet and still, what does that mean? How can we? What are we to do? when they're doing right opposite of what the Bible said, what are we to do? Well, did you know something? The highest power is God. The highest power is God. And when the chain of command is broken down, then we're to obey the higher power, God. Submit yourself to the higher power. Folks, and today, the government thinks they're higher power than God is, amen, but God is the highest power. You see, God's always right. He's never been wrong. You see Peter in the book of Acts chapter five, verse 28 and 29, you read the story of that on back all the way before that in Acts chapter five. Peter then went out and preached and the officials, the Sanhedrin, which was the government in that day over Jewish affairs, they came and said, don't preach in his name. They didn't even want to say in the name of Jesus, because they didn't even want to mention that name. Well, what did Peter do? Did he obey them? No. He went right out and preached in the name of the Lord, because one day Jesus had come by the boat and said, come, I'll make you fishers of men. And then there, of course, when he was in Luke, or John 21, I'll get right in a minute, he told him there, in other words, you do what I tell you to do. In other words, you go and proclaim and do the truth. And Peter did that. And not only those, but those that was with him, the apostles did that. And so whenever they said, don't preach in his name. Well, somebody said, well, the government said, I can't do it. I'm just going to put down my Bible and quit. No, he said, I'm going to be subject to the higher power, higher Well, they put him in jail, and the Bible says, and they put him in jail more than once, but second time here. Anyway, in Acts chapter 5, verse 28, they came and arrested them, in other words, and said, Did not we straightly command you that ye should not teach in this name? Didn't even want to call the name of Jesus. And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God. rather than man, and yet Peter's the one who wrote, Obey the Higher Powers. He's the one who pinned it down by the moving of the Holy Spirit. What does it mean? It means that as long as our government gives us rules and regulations to promote that which is good or praise that which is good and to punish that which does evil, and in other words, it's things that doesn't go against God's Word or God's truth, we ought to catch ourself trying to obey that. Amen? But whenever they go against what God has said, then we better obey God rather than man, because there's what you need to be subject to the higher power, and the highest power is God. Now, let me say this. There's a lot of things you're hearing in our legalistic independent Baptist movement, okay? I mean, they're boycotting abortion clinics. I believe we ought to stand against abortion. But I tell you what, my ministry is not to give my life to go out there and boycott with a sign in front of an abortion clinic. And I'm not so sure that most of them are. Okay, I'll give them a little benefit of the doubt, all right? Because you know what most of them are doing, are listening to a voice of the Jesus they've received, and which is another spirit, another God, and another Jesus. And they'll tell them, go out there and do this, do this, do this. And you know what? They're doing more harm many times than they do good. Amen. Listen, the issue's still salvation. Sure, it's wrong to have abortion, but some of them give their life, even going so far to killing, and that's against the higher power, you see. God wasn't in that. Now, it's time we need to take a stand. There's time we may have to go up to Benton and take a stand against something our city fathers try to do. I mean, if they try to pass some ordinance to put liquor in Benton, hey, let's stand up a little. But that don't mean we're gonna turn and do that 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. I mean, you see, we stand for what's right, and whenever it seems we're overrun because God allowed it to happen, It's because we have failed to be what the light and the salt we should have been. There's a reason it's that way anyway. And yet we're to obey the higher power who's God. So obey the higher power. Not that inner voice sometimes that some of them do that goes contrary to the book. So that's why I stay, try to stay, find the middle of the road and just keep on trucking, amen? That's the best place to do. And of course that's bad for a truck driver to ride down the middle of the road. He'd get in trouble. You get the point I'm trying to make. Middle of the road spiritually speaking and just keep on going for God because salvation is the issue. And what is the will of God? Oh, it's to be saved. The will of God is to give thanks if you please. The will of God is to labor. The will of God is to submit to the higher power. Who's the higher power? God. Submit to him and you'll never go wrong, because he's always right, amen. So let's submit to that. Find the line and do what you got to do in those areas, but there comes a time you just can't go back up. You can't back up and go any further. You've got to stay with God. He's the higher power. All right, what's the will of God as far as the written will of God? Well, let's go a little further tonight. One more, I don't know what I'll get done with this or not, but over in the book of 1 Peter, chapter number three, verse number 14, And through 17, let me just read this and what it is, this is the will of God to suffer sometimes. Oh me, how could that be the will of God? Well, let's look at the book and see what he said. 1 Peter chapter 3 verse number 14 through 17. He said, well, I don't have to read all that. Let me just read verse number 17. That's enough for this, for tonight. For it is better if the will of God be so that you suffer for well-doing than for evil doing. So it's the will of God to suffer sometimes. To suffer sometimes. Now the word suffer means to experience a sensation or an impression. Usually painful, okay? That's what it's talking about. In other words, suffering. Now, two things one can suffer for is verse 17 brought out. You can suffer for evil doing, you can suffer for well doing. You see, that well doing means for righteousness sake. And the will of God is for you to suffer for well doing, not for evil doing. That's not the will of God. But the will of God is for you to suffer When it comes your way and you will suffer sometimes for righteousness sake, for well doing, if you stand where you need to stand and be what you need to be. In other words, that's the will of God. Now suffering can be experienced in the body. In other words, physically, suffering can be experienced where nobody else can see it, down deep in your spirit, or your soul, and your soul. So it's body, soul, and spirit. And of course, involved in that is the mind. Boy, I'm gonna tell you what, you suffer mentally. But when you get down in the soul, that's where everybody don't really see it. Sometimes it does come out, I understand, on the body. But Jesus, one time out, when he was on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane, and he was in the Garden of Gethsemane, Matthew chapter 26, verse number 38, he made this statement to the disciples that went with him. Three of them went further than anybody. He said, Thus saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Carry ye here, and watch with me. Now, in other words, he said, Oh, I'm suffering in my soul. They may not have could have seen it right at that time, the real burden that he was carrying, but he's fixing to face the cup that he's going to have to drink on the cross of Calvary. The cup or the dregs of sin that he was going to face on Calvary there. In other words, he's suffering in his soul. And you've heard some say, and I know I use it sometimes out of context, and some of them laugh and say, oh, my soul. Oh, my soul. And I remember one time when Andy was doing something, pulling down a limb, and it was on tape. Oh, my soul. The kids got laughing about it. Well, I don't know that I was really suffering in my soul, but it's just an expression, because you can suffer in your soul. down inside, wherever, it don't always come out. Suffering bodily, mentally, or in your soul. Acts chapter 14, verse 22, Paul made this statement. He said there in Acts 14, 22, we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God. He said you're going to suffer sometimes. You're going to suffer sometimes. Now, I don't mean you'll suffer all the time, but you'll suffer sometime, and I believe every child of God is going to suffer sometime. There's going to be some suffering, so it's the will of God that you do so. Now, when he says, we through much tribulation will enter in, the word tribulation means grievous affliction or distress. It means pressure or burden upon the spirit. And that word of tribulation has been translated in the New Testament as afflicted, anguish, burden, persecution, and trouble. Those are different words, English words, that's used to describe what tribulation is. But now what did Jesus say we ought to do? How are we to react toward this? It's the will of God to do it. How are we going to react? Jesus made this statement in the very beginning of his ministry in Matthew chapter 5 and what we call the Beatitudes on the Mount there that he spoke there of these, what we call the Beatitudes. Verse number 10, 11, and 12, listen to what he said as he winds up these so-called Beatitudes. He said, verse 10 of Matthew 5, blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. What are you to do, pout and cry? No, he said rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Jesus said blessed is that man who's persecuted for righteousness sake. That word blessed means spiritually prosperous. In other words, it means, oh, happy is the man. He said we ought to react in that way. Now, Peter says it, or James says it this way in James chapter 1, verse number 2. In other words, testings and trials and tribulation. When you fall into it, he said, count it joy. Don't count it all me, old and poor little old me, you know. He said, count it joy. And Paul said it this way in Romans chapter 5, verse number 3. He said, and not only so, but we glory in tribulations also. Why? Knowing that tribulations work with patience. So he said, what does glory mean in tribulation? He said, to give a shout of triumph, a shout of victory, because the Lord is in control. He's the one that's bringing us in that, if you please. And back to business, you say, why do we have to suffer? Well, it's so we'll be able to understand others and help them out. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3 and 4, he said, Blessed be God, eulogizing God there, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation. Why? That we may also be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. You see, when God allows you to go through some things, it'll help somebody else down the road to say, hey, let me tell you how God brought me through this. and this and this, whatever it might be. Whether it be bodily, whether it be mentally, or whether it be in the soul or in the spirit. You see, we need to be able to do that. Now, you realize something, Jesus suffered. He suffered a lot, did he not? Did you know something that's a verse of scripture that just kind of blows your mind when you think about the God of heaven? When it says this about the Son of God who's the God of heaven, he said in Hebrews chapter five, verse number eight, though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. I have to admit, I don't understand all about that. because he's a sinless son of God. And yet the Bible, and the Bible's right, he learned obedience by the things he suffered. You see, if we'll let our testings and our trials and tribulation, if we'll go through those and we see that God intervened in the midst of that, bring us through it, it'll teach us to be more obedient to our Lord. Some of it may be connected with chastisement in one sense, I guess you could say that, but Jesus had no chastisement because He did no wrong. But yet, learned He obedience by the things that He suffered. Folks, Jesus suffered. Now we think about His suffering on the cross of Calvary and He did suffer there. Oh, tremendously did He suffer. Even before He went to the cross, the beating that he took with maybe a cat of nine tails, whatever it may have been. But folks, he suffered for righteousness' sake. Even before he started his ministry, I believe he was looked upon as goody-goody two-shoes. I believe his own half-brothers made fun of him. And I don't know all about it, but you know how normally human nature is. I believe they really put him down. I believe he suffered during that time. He did nothing wrong. He always treated his mom and dad right. He always done what was right, always had a good attitude, and it was such that even when John the Baptist got ready to baptize him, John the Baptist said, you need to baptize me. John didn't know he was the Messiah at that point, but he knew his life had been something. He was a cousin. He knew his life had been superior to his own life. See, John was a sinner. Jesus wasn't a sinner. And he said, you ought to baptize me. And Jesus said, no, but to fulfill all righteousness, this must be done. And then the spirit of God lit upon him like a dove. And John said, oh, that's him. That's the one we've been looking for, in other words, the Messiah. Oh, I mean, listen, but the thing about it is he was suffered, Jesus suffered for righteousness sake. Now, are we any better than he was? He suffered. Are we gonna be exempt from suffering? In fact, Jesus said this in John chapter 15. John chapter 15, verse number 18 through 20. He made this statement here. He said, You know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you're not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I've said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they'll also persecute you. If they have kept my sayings, they'll keep yours. and many of them persecuted him. Very few kept his saying, but they persecuted him, and he's, are we any better? We're going to be persecuted for righteousness sake. And listen, I know, now, when I was over at Southside years ago, I used to think, well, I was persecuted for righteousness sake. No, it's my old legalistic attitude that's rotten to the core, and I'd make the statement, and thought it was a pretty good statement to make. When you come through McKenzie, you better pucker or duck if you mention my name. I was proud of that, you see, because that was about the truth. But I was being persecuted for righteousness' sake. No, no, no, I was persecuted for old Ed's sake, amen. Just me, just old flesh is all it was. Wasn't no righteousness' sake about it, amen. I was just meaner than a junkyard dog, amen, is what it amounts to. And my attitude wasn't right. But folks, I wanna tell you, when you get where you need to be, even with a right attitude, you're still gonna suffer for righteousness' sake. You're going to be, if they did it to Jesus, He said they'll do it to us. And it's necessary sometime to suffer because He said it's the will of God to do so. And Paul made this statement after he was saved. Now Paul had already been saved on the road, on a street called Straight. He met the Lord on the road to Damascus three days later. saved on the street, called straight, counted the cost, Philippians chapter 3 spoke about. He said, I counted all things lost. I give up everything just to be saved to win Christ. But then he said in verse 9 of chapter 3, I want to be found in him. I want my life to be such that others can see Jesus in me. And then he said in verse number 10, and I believe it's a cry, I believe it's a cry, a tone of crying, even though it's not written in the Greek as such, but he said in chapter three, verse number 10, he said there in Philippians chapter three, verse number 10, oh, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering. Now, being made conformable unto his son. Now, you realize something. Oh, I want to know you. And the word know goes with knowing him. That means to experience him. That know there means to experience him. It doesn't mean to be saved. He is already saved. But he said, I want to experience him again and again. I met him on the road to Damascus. I was genuinely saved on the street called Stray. But oh, I need to have a touch from God again and again. I want to know him. I want to know the Lord Jesus. I want to experience him. And then he said, I want to experience, I want to know the power of his resurrection. You know why Paul wanted that? Because he knew that nobody is going to be saved without the power of the Lord moving up on them. I just read an article, Dan gave me an article, I don't even know who it is exactly now, but if you want to know about it, he'll give it to you, but as an old preacher, right? But anyway, he made a statement, he said, you may preach a message, and I'm paraphrasing, I may not have it word for word, but you can preach a message with all the truth of God upon it, and with all the fervor and essence that you can have, And in other words, everything can be just so-called just right. He didn't say it this way, but he said, in essence, you could sing all the songs that just magnify and go right along with it and have a perfect atmosphere. as far as what we would think, for somebody to be saved. But if God doesn't move on that lost center in power, you'll sit there and you'll not be converted. And yet, what are people doing today? Well, I don't know why anybody wasn't saved in that message. I don't know why anybody wasn't saved. And they'll say, well, so-and-so, you know, after that, well, why in the world would anybody leave here tonight? I just got a call this week and somebody shook up because he went to service, and sure enough, they give that invitation about, you know, if you're here and lost, you need to be saved tonight. If you leave, and boy, the pressure got on, the pressure really got on. And so I more or less said what they said, and I wasn't even there, and that's basically what they said. But there has to be power upon you for conversion. And Paul said, oh, I want to experience that power of the resurrection. I want to see it again and again and again. Souls are hanging in the ballot and without the power of the God moving in power, the Lord Jesus moving in power, resurrection power, the same one who resurrected the Lord Jesus from the grave got to resurrect you from the dead. And he said, I want to experience that. I want to know that. But he also added, I want to know or experience the fellowship of your suffering being made conformable unto your death. You see, there'll be no knowing his power of his resurrection or really experiencing him until we're willing to submit to the fellowship, knowing the fellowship of his suffering and experiencing that suffering sometime That's the will of God. I remember years ago, know exactly where I was. I can see the place right now. I remember this verse came to me as I dealt with it in that conference. And back then I could preach in some conferences, amen. But I remember dealing with this, but yet I was, remember right where I was at? And I said, Lord, I'd love to, I wanna know you. And I wanna know the power of your resurrection. And then I said, let's put a period right there. Please be gentle. and you know what he has? He won't put more on you than what you can stand, but we're gonna have to know the fellowship of his suffering, being made conformable to his death. Now, we're not gonna suffer what Jesus did on the cross, but he suffered for righteousness' sake, and we're gonna have to suffer, and that's the will of God to suffer for that. Bible says about Paul in 2 Timothy 3, verse number 12, he made this statement here, is he made this to Timothy, and he said, 2 Timothy 3, 12, He said, yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Didn't say they might. He said if you live right, if you even live close to right, you're going to suffer for the cause. I'm not talking about a legalistic old attitude of better holder than thou like a lot of people are. I'm talking about you just try to do what's right. Try to walk in light. Try to obey light. Try to be salt. Try to be light. And try to live right. Try to uplift Jesus and the truth. Stay with the truth. You're going to suffer persecution. You're going to suffer. That's the will of God and that glorifies the Lord because you see, you're identifying with Him and you're experiencing the fellowship of His suffering. But don't worry, 1 Peter chapter 4 verse number 19 says this in 1 Peter 4, 19, wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him and well-doing as unto a faithful creator. In other words, just if you suffer, just commit your soul to him for safekeeping. Now if you're saved, it's already there, but what you have to do is just truly roll it all upon him and say you're in control. I ain't gonna put no lawsuit against you for suffering, amen, like the guy did for the weather, you know, oh my. But you're in control. You know what you're doing, and it's okay. In other words, then when you do that, you can say like Paul did in 2 Timothy 1.12, when he said for, in other words, in 2 Timothy 1.12, when he said for the witch cause, I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed. And now I'm persuaded that he's able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. You see, may we ever endeavor to find the will of God for our lives. And when in his will, don't complain. Song said something about it, didn't it? We do that a lot of time. Instead of giving thanks, don't complain. Paul said in Philippians chapter four, verse number 11, not that I speak in respect of Walt, but I've learned in what state, whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. In other words, he said, I've learned just to be content. Well, did you know something as we think about that? During Paul's suffering, he said, I've learned to be content. Have you ever looked at what Paul suffered? And this is just a partial list. I mean, he gave us a list in 2 Corinthians chapter number 11, verse number 23, about halfway through it through verse number 28. Let me just give you some of what Paul went through. And it's not all of it, because some more happened after this. And he even got his head cut off and died a martyr's death. But he said this, he said, In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, verse 23 of 2 Corinthians 11. In prisons more frequent, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes, save one. Most of us, we'd get the first two or three licks, we'd say, I recant, I recant. But he was five times. Thrice was I beaten with rods, a Roman beating. Once was I stoned. Thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day. I've been in the deep, in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen. in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness and watchings often, in hunger and thirst and fastings often, in cold and neckiness, besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily the care of all the churches. That's a list. And you know what Paul said about that when he wrote the saints at Corinth? About all that he suffered, he called it only a light, Second Corinthians 417, he said, For our light affliction, which are but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. And he also said in Romans chapter 8, verse number 18, For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Not just him, but enough. And Paul knew what he's talking about. That reckon means that took a balance sheet. I look at all the suffering, and I look at all the glory, and the glory outweighed it all. And Paul knew what he was talking about, because he was caught on the other side. He's already seen it, amen? Couldn't tell about it, but he's already seen it on the other side. In other words, and he knew, for he'd seen what was on the other side. And so he said, light affliction, it's God's will for us to be saved. He's not willing you perish. It's God's will to give thanks even in the great congregation. It's God's will that you subject to the higher powers. It's God's will that you labor. But it's also God's will to suffer sometimes. As we do, we give God glory if we get to that place. Suffer for well-doing, not for evil-doing. God's will for our lives. I don't like it any more than you do, but that's what God said we're gonna have to suffer. And folks, we've grown up with a silver spoon in our mouth in America, if you please, amen. We've really had it easy. We don't even know what persecution is. Over in Russia, back years ago, even there, and I don't know all about all of them, but even then, just the name of Baptist, the being of Baptist, they were thrown in jail just because they said there's a Baptist and what they stood for. thrown in jail, persecuted for the cause of Christ, for righteousness sake. God said, for well-doing, it's going to go and suffer. But that's the will of God. Yea, in all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Didn't say if it comes, it said when it comes, what do you do? You commit yourself to him for safekeeping. He's gonna carry you through and you can be content. And what he said, when you fall in it, give a shout of joy. is spiritually prosperous. Oh, happy is the man. Instead it's triumph, the shout of victory. In other words, because of that. In joy. Well, something I guess we'll have to work on, won't we? He'll have to work on us to get us to that place. God said that's what we'll have to do. So may the Lord, and we get sometimes out of sorts, because somebody looks at us wrong. Or because somebody does a little something wrong to us. We get plumb out of sorts. Amen? Amen. Did I hear, oh me, amen? I mean, that's what it meant. We do that. That's our nature. But God says we get to that place. And it's, and I know the disciples one day said, let's just rain fire down on them. He said, you don't know what you're talking about, you see. And they had to come through some things. They had to get some growing process. But God says in his words, it's his will that you suffer for well-doing. Not evil doing, but well doing. And while you're doing that, you submit to the higher power. That's God, and he'll carry you through. Commit your soul to him for safekeeping. He that cometh to me, I won't even cast out. There's gonna be a certain amount of persecution come just for identifying with truth, trying to stay around truth. Are you willing to pay the price? You may not even be in yet, but there's already some come your way just being identified with that, amen? being identified. Are you willing to pay the price? If you're not willing to pay the price, you'll never make it in. God's gotta make you willing. In the day of his power, you'll be made willing. That's why I'm looking sometime for the power of his resurrection. Some soul will come to the place to where the power of God will fall upon you. And others may not even see it, may not even know about it. But it'll happen. And when it does, we'll see the evidence of it. and we'll see that we can rejoice together. Joy cometh in the morning. But now, he said, we ought to have a little joy. Lord, help us. Easier to preach than it is to practice, but it's still God's will for our life. Father, I plead the blood upon us today. I pray you'd help me. Lord, I know that verse that Paul prayed, and we might know you and the power of your resurrection, but oh Lord, if it takes the fellowship of your suffering, give us grace, we do know it not, if it does, it does take that, that we might experience the power of your resurrection, because without that power moving through our midst and our congregation upon souls of men, there'll be no salvation, there'll be no victory, And Lord, we need, what we need is you to manifest yourself, so Lord, help us just to find your will and walk therein, because you said if we'll pursue a course of action in the will of God, it glorifies you, and that's why you made us, Lord, you created us that we might glorify you. Being saved, giving thanks, and laboring spiritually and physically, and then submitting to the higher powers, but yet suffering whenever it comes our way. give us grace, help us to be victorious, and come through shining, and then be able to help others. And we'll thank you for what you do, for we ask it in Jesus' name, for his sake, we pray. Heads bowed, eyes closed, altars open. Will you mind the Lord tonight as she plays?